Arsenal are interested in signing Torino captain Andrea Belotti but will face competition from several top Serie A clubs for the €34 million-rated striker, according to reports.
Belotti is in the final year of his contract with the Italian club and has attracted a lot of attention from teams in his home country.
But Tuttosport reports that Arsenal have joined the race and will compete with AC Milan, Roma, Fiorentina and Napoli for his signature.
Torino owner Urbano Cairo has set a price tag of €34m (£29m) for his captain, who is currently occupied with Italy at Euro 2020, and is likely to agree to a sale to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.
Belotti has long been linked with a move away from Torino, and there is a general perception that he has outgrown a club that has struggled with relegation battles in recent years.
At the age of 27, this appears to be a good time for him to move on and challenge himself at a higher level.
The striker’s record with Toro is impressive; he has scored 105 goals in 228 appearances for the club in total, hitting double figures in each of the last six Serie A seasons.
Ciro Immobile has been preferred to lead the line for Italy at Euro 2020 so far, but Belotti impressed from the bench in the Azzurri’s 2-1 extra-time win over Austria in the last 16.
There has been some speculation on the peninsula that Belotti could earn a start for the quarter-final against Belgium, and if he makes an impression on the biggest stage his valuation is likely to rise further.
There’s little doubt that he deserves to play at a higher level. Belotti has been one of Serie A’s most reliable and consistent goalscorers since he joined Toro in 2015, playing a huge part in keeping his club in the top flight of Italian football.
Torino finished 17th last season, staying up by four points, with Belotti scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.
Subscribe to FourFourTwo today and get a FREE England Euro 96 shirt!
NOW READ
CALENDAR Euro 2020 fixtures and dates: Full schedule and how to watch every match of the 2021 summer tournament
FOR YOUR HOME Euro 2020 wall chart: Download free with full schedule, fixtures and dates
REFS Euro 2020 referees revealed: who are they, how were they selected and will VAR be in use?
